We’ve made it to Masters Week! This is when Dawg Sports becomes Dawgs Golf. It is a nice table setter for the end of Spring Practice in Athens and the sadly not-televised G-Day game. So don whatever Masters logo gear you were able to snag (or had your father-in-law give you for your birthday), mix up a batch of Azaleas to sip on, and set right down for a preview of the former Bulldogs plying their trade at the most famous golf tournament in the world.
Only 5 ‘Dawgs are in the field, but that’s 5 more
than Tigers in this year’s field. Scottie Scheffler is planning on playing, but he pulled out of another tournament ostensibly to attend his expecting wife. Collin Morikawa withdrew from The Players (and this past week) due to a back injury, but the rest of the world’s top 10 look to be in pretty good shape.
The course will be pretty much the same to the naked eye, but the 17th hole was elongated to 450 yards, and other holes will have subtle contouring changes around the greens.
So here’s who you’re going to be rooting for come Thursday morning.
Harris English: T-12 in 2025, so that automatically gets you an invite back the next year. Has played 6 times before and made 5 cuts. He tied for 22nd in 2024, tied for 43rd in 2023, so he’s definitely trending up. He’s also had three top-3 finishes in majors in recent years, so he could be ready to break through.
Brian Harman: this will be the wee lefty’s 8th Masters, yet he’s only made the cut 3 times. And only 6 rounds under par. He tied for 36th last year (and a top 10 at the British Open). His best finish was T12 in 2021.
Russell Henley: the Maconite has competed in 9 previous Masters. Surprisingly he missed the cut here last year, arguably the best of his career. A T38 in 2024, T4 in 2023, T30 in 2022 having missed the previous 3 Masters, but a T15 in 2018, T11 in 2017, 21st in 2015, and T31 in 2014. His only missed cut in August was his inaugural appearance in 2013.
Sepp Straka: his 5th trip to Washington Road, having made the cut 3 out of 4 tries. His best finish was T16 in 2024, T46 in 2023, and T30 in 2022. So his only year missing the weekend was last year – like Henley, arguably his best season in his fairly young professional career.
And then there is Bubba. Gerry Lester Watson Jr. is of course a Masters Champion; the first former Georgia Bulldog to win a major. But he liked his win in 2012 so much he did it again in 2014. He’s made it to Amen Corner 17 other times, making the cut in 14 of them. Augusta National is often referred to as a “second shot” golf course, and Bubba does like to take unconventional lines which ANGC offers in spades. He’s 47 years old now, having played the last several year on the LIV tour, and I honestly have zero assessment of his game. But he does love UGA, he married another Bulldog athlete, and he returns to Athens frequently.
We’ll be back with more coverage, specifically tee times and how to watch. Thanks for reading, and as always…
GO ‘DAWGS!!!
